Embrace the Suck
by purplecitrusella
Summary: One virus and Zack's life is changed forever. Who knew one case of the flu could do so much?
1. The Beginning

OK.

Zack was still in bed after a week and a half of a bad case of the flu.

Cody got over it quickly. Carey got over it quickly. So why wasn't Zack getting over it?

Because he simply had a worse case. Remember that; it'll be relevant later.

Because this is Zack's story, and the flu plays an important part in it.

_**Now that you know that, let's get to what's going on in Zack's life...**_

"Zack, I'm going to the store, and I might go to the candy counter before I come up here when I get back. Do you want anything from either of those places?" Carey asked.

"Can you get some vegetable soup from the store and a dark chocolate bar from the candy counter?" Zack replied.

"Sure."

_**About 6 Days Later...**_

"Hey, Zack, you feeling better?" Cody asked, surprised that his brother was dressed for school after two weeks of the flu.

"Yeah, a lot!" Zack practically screamed.

_**But over the next week, Zack's hunger and thirst increased, he was using the bathroom a whole lot more, and despite his calorie intake, he seemed to be losing weight.**_

"Zack, are you okay? That's the second cup of water you've had in the past six minutes!" Lexy exclaimed.

"Yeah, you don't seem yourself," Jessica said.

"I'm perfectly fine!" Zack snapped.

_**But it was true. He wasn't himself, and he would get more unlike himself over the next weeks. Carey noticed that he seemed to be sick again and made him stay home the next day. He stayed home for a grand total of three weeks. Let's see what's happening now, after his three weeks of absence from school...**_

"You have to go back to school tomorrow, Zack," Carey said.

"But Mom, I still feel horrible!"

"Hey, Zack, you can't stay home forever!"

"Can't you home school me?"

"No! You have to go back to school!"

"Mom, I have got to be sick with something! I'm tired all the time, I'm thirsty all the time, I'm using the bathroom _all the time! _And now, my stomach hurts and I feel nauseous!"

"I'm sorry, honey, but if you don't go back tomorrow, unless it's a medical emergency that I can prove, you'll have to retake the entire year! You should be lucky they're giving you more absent days as it is!"

"But--"

"End of discussion. Go get a shower. And I'd rather you not drink that water! Come out here to get a drink!"

_**After Zack's shower...**_

"Mom, I'm sorry, but I did drink some of the shower water. I was so thirsty, and I thought it would be faster than coming out here, getting a drink, and then getting back in the shower."

Carey sighed. "It's fine. I thought about what you said before your shower, about how you have got to be sick with something. So I'm going to try to schedule a doctor's appointment."

"Okay. Mom, can I have a cup of water?"

Carey looked hard at Zack.

"I'm sorry; I'm just _so_ thirsty!" Zack said.

"Sure. But after that, you have to go to bed!"

_**Sometime around 12 midnight to 1 in the morning...**_

Zack got up out of his bed.

The guest in the suite below the Martins heard a flush and a thump.

_**A couple of minutes later...**_

"Carey, wake up!" Mr. Moseby had used his master key to get into the room after pounding on the door for 3 minutes, and was now shaking Carey awake.

Carey awoke with a start. "What is it?!" she screamed. Her scream was so loud, it got Cody out of his bedroom.

"I got a complaint."

"Wait, what kind of complaint?"

"Well--"

There was a knock at the entrance to the suite. It was Jessica.

"Sorry, I heard commotion, and I can't resist commotion. May I come in?" she asked.

"Sure, why not? We may as well have a party in here! By the way, do you know where Zack is? He's not in our room," Cody said.

"Well, that's what I came up here to talk about. Is Zack still sick? The complaint was more of a concern from the guest below you. She heard a toilet flush, and then a thump," Mr. Moseby said.

"Well then, he must be in the bathroom," said Carey, obviously worried.

"Wait a second!" Jessica interjected. "If it's what I think it is, you might wanna call 911 and let Moseby and I go in first."

"Okay. But we're going to be right behind you."

Jessica and Moseby walked slowly into the bathroom, with Carey and Cody following. Carey pressed the "call" button on her cell phone, on which 911 was already dialed, as soon as she saw the scene in the bathroom.

Zack was lying unconscious on the floor.

Everyone immediately ran to his side.

"What happened?" Cody said.

"I think he's in diabetic ketoacidosis," Jessica said.

"What?" everyone in the room exclaimed.

"Diabetic ketoacidosis. That's why I have these things. I'll explain why I thought what I thought later." Jessica emptied her pajama pockets _**(Yes, she really has pajama pockets! Well... I don't!),**_ pulling out a lancet, a lancing device, some test strips, and a Precision Xtra meter. She had gotten the supplies earlier that day and was planning on telling Zack, Cody, and Carey of her suspicions at a more convenient time the next day, but apparently, Zack couldn't wait until then.

She calibrated the meter for the glucose test strip and ketone test strip she was using and then inserted a glucose test strip. She poked Zack's finger with the lancet and put his blood on the test strip. Carey was explaining all of this to the 911 operator, who had heard the DKA comment and sent an ambulance immediately.

"'HI'?! Dang it!"

She put in a ketone test strip. Zack's finger had not stopped bleeding, but Jessica wanted a sample almost completely uncontaminated, so she wiped his finger and waited until there was enough blood to test with. Luckily, the meter hadn't turned off, and she put his blood on this test strip.

"'HI' again?! Oh, man, this is bad!"

Carey had put her phone on speaker.

"What do all of the 'HIs' mean?" Cody asked.

"Well, Zack is probably in a diabetic coma, and will need emergency care to get his blood glucose levels down. The 'HI' on the meter means the glucose and ketone levels in his blood are too high for the meter to read. He probably has diabetes, and that's his body's way of telling us. When the body doesn't have insulin, glucose can't get into the cells. When Zack's body couldn't use the glucose in his blood properly, it started burning body fat for energy. The problem with that is that burning fat creates stuff called ketones, and in high enough amounts, ketones are dangerous and can kill you. They change the pH of your blood. The ketones make the blood more acidic, and that messes with your body," Jessica said.

"So... you mean..."

"Cody, I know you don't really want any of these things to be happening, but the truth is they are, and there's nothing we can do about them. Zack has diabetes, and we can't get rid of it. But it'll be okay."

"But--"

"Trust me. Whatever happens, _it will be okay."_

And everyone sat there in silence until the ambulance came.


	2. That's How You Know

When Zack was taken to the hospital, everyone went, including Moseby.

Cody and Carey had gone in the ambulance with Zack and the paramedics, and Moseby had offered to drive Jessica to the hospital since he was going to follow the ambulance there anyway. Despite the way he acted towards the twins most of the time, he truly did care about them.

Zack's blood glucose upon arrival to the hospital was 1458 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). Normal blood glucose ranged from 80-120.

Now it was eight hours later, around the time that school started, and everyone except Jessica was still sitting in Zack's room in their pajamas. Zack was connected to an IV drip of insulin. He was still unconscious.

Jessica stepped into the the room holding a Dr. Pepper.

"Thanks for lending me the money to buy this!" she yelled as the doctor walked down the hallway. "There's no place to hold money in these PJs! But my dad'll be here later with real clothes! And money!"

"Jessica, how can you drink at a time like this?" Cody asked sadly as Jessica sat down.

"Yeah, and you might want to be _quiet_ in the ICU," Moseby added.

"Look, I'm trying to stay awake, and the only way I can do that is with carbs and caffeine," Jessica said.

It was silent for a few moments. Then Carey started to talk.

"So, Jessica, you never did tell us how you knew Zack had diabetes. I mean, you don't have to tell us if you don't feel like it, but--"

"No. I'll tell you, but I'm warning you, it's not the happiest story."

"It all started about eight years ago, before I was adopted by my biological family. A nice lady from Kentucky adopted me. She was diabetic. Things went fine for the first month or so, but then she started having high glucose readings all the time. A week or so later, she went into ketoacidosis, and after that was treated, things started to be okay. After about a half a week though, she started having low blood glucose all the time. She tried everything to stop it, but she kept going low. A couple days later, school started. I didn't think it would be safe to leave her alone, so I set up a camera in the living room, which was where we spent most of our time, and found a way to hook it up to our house's alarm system. I pointed it at the floor and set it to sound the alarm if anything around the size of a human entered the picture for more than one minute. That would've notified 911. But... when I came home from school..." Jessica's voice broke. She began to cry. She went on, hiccuping out the words.

"She was on the floor, right in front of the camera. Her heart had stopped, and she wasn't breathing. It turns out I hadn't set up the camera right, so the alarm never sounded and emergency help never came. I..." Jessica paused. "I looked at what had happened on the tape, and she had passed out around 1:00 and had, like, five seizures. Her last seizure was only thirty minutes before I got home. And the worst part is that the place I got adopted from, in California, takes three months to evaluate adoptive parents. And since she died before the three month mark, I got sent back to the place I came from. But I guess that's a good thing, because my real family found me there and adopted me." She forced out a small, sad smile.

"Wow. I never knew that that happened to you," Cody said quietly.

"Nobody really does, except for my family."

"Well, that won't happen to Zack, will it?"

"No. As long as he keeps his diabetes under pretty good control, it shouldn't. It's possible, but it shouldn't happen to him."

"Jessica, I'm so sorry for everything mean I've ever said to you. Cody, that goes for you and Zack as well," Moseby said.

"You don't have to be sorry for that. Once Zack gets to feeling better, he'll probably be right back to turning the hotel upside down with Cody."

"Ohh!" Moseby exclaimed.

"What _will_ happen to Zack?" Carey asked.

"Well, the doctor said he's almost definitely Type 1, so when he wakes up, everyone will have a lot to learn about care and stuff. You guys will have to learn how to inject insulin, check blood glucose, count carbs, treat lows, correct highs, and a whole bunch of other stuff," Jessica said.

"Anything else?"

"Well, they'll probably teach you the difference between Type 1 and Type 2. You know, causes, treatment, etc. I'll try to explain it as soon as Zack wakes up."

_**Later...**_

"Here's a change of clothes, Jessica. And Carey, I brought you and Cody some clothes, too," Jessica's dad, Danny, said at 10:00, when he came in holding 2 medium-sized bags of clothes.

"Okay, but how did you get into our suite?" Carey said.

"Your door was cracked and your room key was on the table. Nothing seemed to be broken or missing, so I assumed you left it open when Zack came to the hospital. Don't worry, I closed and locked the door when I left your suite. By the way, I didn't get you any underclothes. I felt that'd be violating, and I'd already done something equal to breaking into your suite."

"That's fine, thanks."

"Well, bye. Sorry about what happened."

Jessica looked into her bag.

"Yes! I can pay that doctor back now!"

Everyone gave her a _very_ strange look.

Then it was quiet.

And nobody talked.

They just watched Zack.

And waited for him to wake up.

In silence.

_**A/N: Well, this chapter took quite a while, but it was worth it. Hope you liked it! If you have any questions about ANYTHING in this chapter, review or send me a message. I will answer your question if it is NOT going to be answered in the story.**_


	3. You've Got a Whole Lot to Learn

Zack opened his eyes.

He felt odd, but at the same time... normal.

Had he really been sick so long that feeling better felt weird?

Then Zack noticed where he was: a hospital.

_Man, something bad must've happened that I can't remember_, he thought.

Everyone around him was asleep. He saw his mom, Cody, Jessica, and Moseby.

_Wow. This must've been BIG! Moseby's here!_

He noticed Jessica beginning to stir.

Jessica awoke and began to stare at Zack.

Because he was staring at her.

Zack began to stretch, but he stopped when he felt a pull in his arm. He looked at his arm and saw a needle going into it. The needle was attached to a tubing leading up to a bag of clear liquid that was hanging from a stand next to his bed.

"What the--?" he said. He reached to pull the needle out, but Jessica stopped him.

"No!" she whispered. "That thing in your arm is part of what's making you feel better!"

"What are you talking about?" he whispered. "What happened that got me in the hospital?"

"Well, you know how you were sick for, like, ever?"

"How can I forget? I was like that for three weeks!"

"That was how it started out."

"How what started out?" Zack asked quietly.

"Please don't freak out, but... you have diabetes."

"WHAT?!" Zack screamed, waking Cody and Carey up.

"Zack, you're awake!" Cody said.

"Oh, honey! It's so good to see you awake!" Carey exclaimed.

"Yeah... why were you screaming?" Cody said.

"Jessica just told me I have diabetes."

"Well... you do." Cody said solemnly.

"How did it happen?"

"Let's see. Your cells couldn't use insulin." Jessica said.

"Anything else?"

"The type of diabetes that you have is called Type 1. It's an autoimmune disease. That means your immune system decided to turn on you and destroy its own cells, in this case the beta cells in your pancreas. The beta cells make insulin, which helps cells absorb glucose, a form of sugar that human bodies use for energy. Are you still with me?"

Zack nodded.

"Your blood glucose when you got here was 1458 mg/dl. In people without diabetes, it's normally 80-120."

"Wow. My blood glucose was way higher than normal."

"Yes, it was. You had around three different antibodies against your own pancreas tissues. Your A1c was, like, 21 or something. That means your average blood glucose over the last couple of months was around 550 or something. Your C-peptide was, like, zero, which means you're not producing ANY insulin. To keep the levels of glucose in your blood normal, you'll have to inject insulin and--"

"You said inject?"

"Yeah."

"Is there any other way?"

"No. I know how much hate injections, but you're going to have to do it. I'm sorry."

"Uhh! This stinks!"

"I know, but I kinda understand what you're going through. I don't have diabetes or anything, but... I knew someone who had it."

"Who?"

Jessica tried to tell him, but she couldn't get the words out. Cody leaned over and whispered in Zack's ear.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Jessica. I didn't mean to make you upset."

"No. It's okay. You didn't know."

The room was awkwardly silent.

"So... what's in this thing?" Zack said, hoping to break the tension. He pointed at the IV bag. "Is it insulin?"

"No, they took you off the insulin IV when you started coming down _fast_. You were about 550 and you came all the way down to 200 or so in an hour and a half. After they took you off the insulin IV, they just gave you insulin injections. That stuff in the bag is rehydrating your body. You were severely dehydrated when you got here. You've gotten better remarkably fast, so I wouldn't be surprised if you got taken off this IV soon."

"Will the diabetes go away, then?"

"No. It's lifelong. It'll never go away."

"Oh."

"_But, _there are doctors looking for a cure, and there are foundations raising money for research."

"Like who?"

"Well, let's see. There's the American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, just to name a few."

"Oh, okay. Is there anything else I need to learn to do?"

"Umm, there's testing blood glucose, which I'm gonna start calling blood sugar because you know what glucose is now, you'll have to learn treat lows and highs, carb counting... uhhh, I can't think of anything else, but there's a lot."

"So my life is going to be permanently changed?"

"Yes and no. Any other questions?"

"I still don't quite understand how Zack got diabetes," Carey piped up.

"Okay, I'm going to draw a picture."

Jessica left the room, returning shortly with printer paper, which everyone assumed she'd gotten from a receptionist or something. She drew a blob with some dots on it.

"Can anybody tell me what this is?" she said, holding up the drawing.

"A blob with some dots on it?" Zack said.

"That is correct." Jessica said.

She then grabbed another piece of paper and drew a pancreas on it.

"What's this?" Jessica asked.

Cody raised his hand and started flailing it wildly in the air.

"Anybody who doesn't look like they need to go to the bathroom?" Jessica asked. Nobody guessed.

"Cody."

"That's a pancreas!"

"Yes, it is. The pancreas and the blob are the same in this example. The dots on the blob represent beta cells."

On the back of the paper with the blob on it, Jessica drew a blob WITHOUT the dots.

"Can anybody tell me what this is?"

"A blob without dots on it?" Zack said.

"Which is like?"

"A pancreas without beta cells?"

"Absolutely correct."

Jessica now turned the pancreas paper over and drew a key. Next to it, she wrote "equals insulin." She held up the paper.

"Now to explain the difference between Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. The insulin is created in beta cells. Now," Jessica put down the paper and began to draw again, "insulin is like a key that opens up a cell to let glucose in. In Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas makes insulin just fine, but the body cells can't use it properly. They are resistant to the insulin."

She held up a blob with a door on it. The lock on the door was a crescent. The key was shaped like a triangle.

"So the key won't work on the door?" Cody said.

"That's it exactly. Type 2 is very much genetics, but if you're overweight or obese and you don't exercise it CAN be a risk factor for type 2." Jessica said. She laid the paper down and drew a blob with a door on it. This time, the lock was a triangle, but there no key in sight.

"In Type 1 diabetes, which is what Zack has, it's like you've lost the key. The pancreas doesn't secrete insulin because the beta cells were killed by immune system, so the body's cells don't let in glucose. It's genetic, but sometimes a virus can set it off. I think Zack started developing diabetes a long time ago, but having the flu could've sent it into overdrive. Does everybody understand now?"

There was a small chorus of "yeahs" around the room.

"You know, Moseby's still asleep," Zack said.

"Yeah... let's try to wake him up," Cody said.

After some shaking and yelling, Jessica whispered in his ear, "Your hotel's being attacked by monkeys." Moseby woke up in an instant.

"Get out of my hotel this instant, you--" Moseby realized where he was and suddenly quieted when he realized he was in a hospital and Zack was now awake.

"Oh, hello Zack. I see you're awake now." Moseby smiled.

"Yeah, I was the _first_ one awake."

Nobody said anything so they sat quietly until a nurse came in.

"Vitals," she said cheerily.

"What the heck are vitals?" Zack said.

"She means vital signs," Cody said.

"That's correct. I'm just going to take your temperature, check your pulse, check your blood pressure, see how many times you breathe in a minute, and since you're diabetic, I'll be testing your blood sugar as well," the nurse said.

The nurse did all the things she said she'd do. When she got to testing blood sugar, she showed Zack exactly what she was doing from getting out the equipment to getting the blood sugar reading.

"You should be getting off that IV soon; it's nearly empty," the nurse smiled as she left.

_**Almost a week and lots of learning later...**_

Zack was getting ready to leave after a week in the hospital. He wanted to go back home, but he wasn't sure if he was ready.

That's why he was sitting in a hallway contemplating finding a way to stay in the hospital. Unfortunately, Jessica found him.

"Why ya sitting out here when you could be getting ready?" she asked.

"I'm not sure if I want to leave."

"Why wouldn't you wanna go back home?"

"I'm afraid I'll do something wrong."

"Don't worry. You'll do a much better job than any of the doctors here."

"No, I won't."

"Yes, you will. The doctors forgot you needed insulin more than once! And they have other patients. They aren't JUST taking care of you. You are. You'll learn more about yourself and you'll constantly be getting better at managing your diabetes. They'll hit a point and stop. You really won't for a long time. Please decide to go home. You'll feel better there. Trust me."

"Okay. Thanks for making me change my mind."

"Yeah, you'll like it a lot better on the outside. The food's better. Let's go."

Zack and Jessica got up and went back to Zack's room to get ready to leave.

As Zack was wheeled out of the hospital, he was so happy just to get outside again. He couldn't wait to get home.

_**A/N: So... what does everybody think? I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, but I had computer issues. If you have any questions, review the story or PM me and I will reply (unless the question will be answered in a later chapter). This chapter was info-loaded (another reason for the update delay)! I think Jessica talked way too much in this chapter. Then again, she's the character with the most information at this point. That'll change later. In closing, review and tell me what you think!**_


	4. A New Friend

Today was Zack's first day back to school. It was a week after he had gotten released from the hospital. He wondered what his friends would think when they saw that he was back in school.

He didn't have long to wonder. He and Cody didn't have time to eat breakfast, so they were eating it at the school. Carey wanted to make sure Zack didn't have ANY errors in the amount of insulin given, so she had packed Zack a breakfast with the carb counts, the insulin to carb ratio, and the amount of insulin he was supposed to be given written down on a card. He was to go to the nurse after he had eaten and she was to help him give himself insulin. Zack wasn't entirely comfortable giving himself shots yet.

We're getting off track. What was it we were talking about again? Oh, yes, I remember.

Zack didn't have long to wonder. His friends were sitting at a table in the cafeteria and he decided to join them. As he sat down, they all stared at him.

"What? Did I forget to put on pants this morning or something?" Zack asked as he unpacked his breakfast.

"You haven't been at school for the past month, and you expect us to act normal when you come back?" Max said.

"Yeah, and why couldn't have just bought breakfast in the line instead of packing your own? That's what you get in the line anyway," Haley said, eyeing his toaster pastries and chocolate milk.

"The reason I wasn't at school for the past month is because I was getting diabetes. I actually got hospitalized and was unconscious for a few days. The reason I didn't get my breakfast in the line is because my mom wanted to make sure my carb counts were right," Zack said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You have diabetes? And what the heck is a carb count?" Agnes asked.

"Yes, and I have to count carbohydrates and give myself insulin. And by the way, I can have pretty much anything as long as I give myself insulin for it, so don't tell me I can't eat something unless you're absolutely sure. Like it's a rattlesnake or something sure."

"But I thought diabetics couldn't eat sugar."

"Ohh!" Zack gasped in exasperation. "I can eat whatever. I just have to take insulin for it. Insulin is usually made inside your body, but my body doesn't make it anymore, so I have to give myself shots."

"Oh. Well, that doesn't sound good!"

"Yeah, it's not! Listen, I gotta eat this and get to the nurse so I can give myself a shot."

After that, they were mostly quiet as they ate apart from the occasional question from one of Zack and Cody's friends, which were answered with no problems.

After Zack finished eating, he went to the nurse's office to administer insulin.

It was there that he met Sarah.

Sarah was in the office testing. You may wonder, "Testing what?" But you're smarter than that.

She was testing her blood sugar.

The nurse looked up as Zack walked into the nurse's office.

"You need help?" she asked. She liked to see if the students wanted to try to do things themselves.

"Yeah, with the measuring and stuff," Zack said.

He had been 97 right before breakfast; a pretty good number if he did say so himself.

Sarah noticed the exchange between Zack and the nurse, so while the nurse drew up the amount of insulin he needed to inject, she said to Zack, "So since when have you been diabetic?"

"Oh, like 2 weeks," Zack said.

"So, is this your first day back?" Sarah asked cautiously.

"Umm... yeah."

"Well, uhh... I gotta go," Sarah said to Zack, not able to think of anything else.

"Yeah... umm... well, bye," Zack said.

And Sarah left, and Zack got his insulin. After he left the nurse's office, he got to thinking. He had seen Sarah in some of his classes. Maybe he would strike up a conversation with her.

Maybe he had a new friend.

_**A/N: Does this chapter seem short? It's much shorter than the other chapters in this story so far. I couldn't think of much to write for this chapter, yet it took JUST as long as some of the others. Ugh, this is so frustrating! I have the ENTIRE plot in my head, but I can't think of a way to write it. I DO promise that coming chapters will at least ATTEMPT to be longer. And for anybody who is type 1 diabetic (because I am not) and thinks/knows I got my info WRONG, please PM me about it. If you have a question that you don't think is answered (or going to be answered) in the story, please PM or review with the question and I will do my best to answer it. But please, if it is a question about diabetes in general, try to look it up first. Lastly, review! I want to have your opinion of my writing.**_


	5. Talking

Zack had 2nd, 3rd, and 7th period with Sarah. He figured that one of those periods was the perfect time to make his move.

All of his teachers had already been told that he had type 1 diabetes, so he didn't really have to go through the torture of trying to explain it. He just handed them a paper that highlighted symptoms of highs and lows, and an information paper.

Second period was American Sign Language. He knew he couldn't say anything in there because if he spoke or whispered, the teacher would tell him to stop, and if he signed, everyone would see.

That left 3rd and 7th period.

Zack was so sure he would be able to talk to Sarah during his third period class, Geometry, but the teacher kept him so busy with his normal work and some work to review what he missed (which he was only pretending to do to satisfy the teacher), that he had no time to speak to Sarah.

That left 7th period.

Seventh period was Computer Graphics, one of the few classes Zack actually liked. He sat next to Sarah in that class every day, but he had never really spoken to her for more than a minute or two. He figured today was as good a time as ever.

As they were waiting for their computers to load, he turned towards Sarah.

"Do you remember the conversation in the nurse's office this morning?" Zack asked.

"Between us?" Sarah asked. Zack nodded. "Yeah," she replied.

"So... can I ask you a question?" Zack said.

"Sure. What?"

"How long have you been diabetic?" Zack blurted.

Sarah looked surprised and slightly taken aback, but nonetheless, she answered the question.

"I got it in the middle of 5th grade. Why?"

"I-I-It's j-just that... I'm so new to this whole diabetes thing."

"Don't worry, it'll get easier. It'll even start to feel normal."

"Yeah, right. Everyone says that."

"But it's true," Sarah said. Zack looked skeptical. Sarah continued, "No, I'm serious. It'll become so regular you'll barely even notice it, yet... you'll always know it's there. You'll know it's there with a low, you'll know it's there with a high, you'll know each time you inject insulin or check your blood sugar, or when you count carbs, or when you're dealing with people who make stupid comments. You'll even find yourself thinking about it when you're not thinking about it. But it'll become a new normal, and it _will_ get easier."

"But it seems so hard right now."

"And it will—I totally see where you're coming from. Just know that it will get easier. By the way, our computers are done loading."

And with that their conversation ended.

Zack wondered if Sarah was mad. He looked back at her. She gave him a reassuring smile. There was no way she was mad.

And so they worked until the end of the period, occasionally chattering about things, both diabetes-related and non-diabetes related.

As the bell rang, Zack wondered if he and Sarah were friends.

Zack yelled out. "Hey, Sarah! Wait up!"

"What is it, Zack?"

"I just wanted to ask one more question. Are we... friends?"

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, if you feel like we're friends, then we're friends." Sarah smiled.

"Great."

Zack had to check his blood sugar before he got on the bus, so he took out his meter and tested. He was a good enough number that he was not likely to pass out on the bus, so he climbed up the steps, situated himself in an uncomfortable bus seat, and enjoyed his ride home.

_**A/N: First off, have you read "Zacks wet pants" by mrs. nick jonas? Currently, it's like 6th on the list (that means it's 5 or 6 below mine). Report it. She stole it from the first chapter of the other, less informed version of this story. Second, I can't seem to write anything long lately, so this is another short chapter. Ugh. The next chapter will hopefully be longer. I'm also gonna try doing some stuff about his life outside of school and bring in some of the characters I left out of the story (Maddie, London, etc.) in the next chapter. Lastly, please review! I like to know how I'm doing.**_


	6. Acting Weird

Zack walked up to the candy counter and plopped 3 dollar bills down right in front of Maddie.

"Three packages of Skittles, Sweet Thang."

"OK."

Zack stared at her.

"What, you aren't gonna tell me I can't have it?" he asked.

"Zack, I know the facts about type 1 diabetes. You can have anything you want as long as you take enough insulin for it."

"Okay. Well, I'm using this for lows, anyway. I'll try bolusing for candy later, like when I get used to this whole diabetes thing."

"That's fine. I'll be ready."

"Thanks, Sweet Thang."

Zack turned. He didn't realize London was behind him, and he bumped into her. London noticed what Zack was holding and, well, she said something stupid (like you didn't see that coming).

"Zack, you can't eat that! You're diabetic!" she said, yanking a bag of Skittles out of his hand. She opened them and started eating them.

"Hey, Zack, catch," Maddie said. Zack turned around just in time to catch another bag of Skittles from Maddie.

"Maddie, why'd you do that? Zack's diabetic. He can't eat sugar!"

"He CAN eat sugar, and he needs to eat sugar if he's low! And you owe me a dollar!"

"Why?"

"You took Zack's candy. He was going to use that for lows! I think he NEEDS to be well-stocked with this stuff if he's gonna live! And--"

"Maddie, I have plenty of glucose tabs, and I have glucagon. I think I can live," Zack said.

"I don't care! It's good to have extra stuff, and she still owes me a dollar!" Maddie yelled as London scurried away.

"Okay... I'm gonna leave this little freak fest and go upstairs now." Zack turned around and ran to the elevator. He got in just before the doors shut. Luckily the elevator was going up.

When Zack reached his room, his mom freaked out.

"Where have you been? When was the last time you tested? Are you low? Are you high?"

"Mom, I told you before I left. I went downstairs to talk to Maddie. I haven't seen her for around a month! And the last time I tested was... now." Zack promptly took out his meter and tested, fully aware that his mother would freak if he didn't. Once he got the result, he showed it to his mother.

"See? 114. That's a great number. That's the closest I've been to 100 ever, and I know how much you like me being 100 after what the endo told you. So calm down already!"

"I'm sorry I'm being so protective. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"I'm not going to get hurt just going downstairs."

"Well, you could. Anyway, I got Cody to make sandwiches for lunch. They're ham and cheese and they're 24 carbs."

"OK." Zack took a sandwich, bolused for it, ate it, and went to his room.

As soon as he got in his room, he jumped in his nice cozy computer chair. Cody was at the library, so it wasn't like he was there to use it for something stupid like homework. After being on there for awhile, he got off. He looked at the clock next to his bed: 4:00 PM. Time to test again. He felt kinda tired and icky, though, and he thought he might be high.

He tested, and lo and behold, he was hyperglycemic.

"Mom, I'm high!" he yelled.

"How high?" Carey yelled back.

"Like 306. Are you sure the sandwiches were 24 carbs?"

"Ahh... let me check." Carey paused. "No, they're 33 carbs. How many did you eat?"

"Two."

"Well, uhh, let me give you a correction."

"Mo-om! Can't I do it myself?"

"No. I'd rather do it right now. Maybe when we have more experience with this."

"Whatever."

"Zack, let me see your arm."

He gave her his arm. Carey then gave him his correction.

"Can I do something now?"

"Depends. What were you planning on doing?"

"Just watching TV, Mom. It's not like I'm bungee jumping."

"I know, honey. I just want you to be safe."

Cody walked into the room as Zack was looking for the TV remote.

"Hey, what ya doing?"

"Looking for the remote."

"Can I help you?"

"No."

"Do you need help with anything else?"

"No. Why do you want to help me with everything all of a sudden?"

"Uhh... no reason."

Zack thought it was odd that everybody was acting different around him now. His mom was way more protective, Cody wanted to help him with everything, Moseby was going easier on him, and Michelle seemed to always be avoiding him.

He decided to focus his attention on the TV and talk about this problem with someone later.

_**A/N: Well, another chapter done. Uhh... I don't have anything to say about this story, but I have new chapters in store for several of my other stories, plus a whole first chapter for a brand new story! Only thing I have left to say is review!**_


	7. I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way

Zack sat down at a table in the school cafeteria to eat breakfast. Not much later, Jessica satdown across from him.

"What are you doing eating breakfast here?" Zack asked.

"We were out of cereal and toaster pastries. Why the long face?"

"Everybody's acting weird around me. Moseby's going easier on me, Mom's really over protective, Cody wants to help me with everything, not mention your sister acts like I have the plague!"

"Okay, calm down; I may be able to help you."

"How?"

"I have a plan."

* * *

Jessica had gathered Zack, Cody, Carey, Mr. Moseby and Michelle in the Martins' living room.

"Do I have to be here?" Zack asked.

"Yes. Now, Michelle, why do you keep avoiding Zack?"

"Well, Adam told me diabetes was contagious, and I believed him," Michelle said. "It isn't contagious, is it?" she quickly added.

"No, it's not," Zack said. Just to prove his point, he gave Michelle a hug.

"And Zack, do you have anything to say to your mom or Cody?" Jessica said.

"Um... Mom? Your a bit too overprotective. I know you want to make sure I'm safe, but I can do it myself. You don't have to freak out as soon as I come back from the game room or the lobby. I can make sure I don't go to low or high."

"I guess I was a tad overprotective; I just don't want you hurt."

"I'll be okay, Mom. And Cody? I don't need help with everything. I can find the remote or make a bowl of cereal myself. You don't have to do it for me."

"Okay."

"Jessica, can you explain to Mr. Moseby what he's doing wrong?" Zack asked. "I think he might yell at me if I do it," he added in a whisper.

"Mr. Moseby, you do not need to go easy on Zack. He is a normal person and should be treated like one!"

Just then, Kurt came into the suite. Jessica whipped around.

"And you! You should be spending more time with your sons and less creating your unique brand of bluesy folk rock!"

"Whoa, calm down! He didn't do anything wrong!" Zack said.

"Yeah! Carey called me when Zack was in the hospital; it just took me a while to get here!"

"Okay, then you're excused," Jessica said in an embarassed voice. "And so are the rest of you."

Michelle turned to Zack.

"I'm sorry I avoided you."

"It's okay."

Cody decided to follow Michelle's example.

"Zack, I'm sorry I wanted to help you with everything. It's just that it's unfair that you have to deal with this, and I thought I was making it easier."

"It's great that you wanna help me with stuff, but can you please only help me when I ask for it?"

"Sure."

Moseby then came up to him.

"Now, I have to get back down to the lobby, but rest assured that next time you disrupt my hotel, I will treat you as the delinquent you are."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Zack said with a smile.

_**A/N: Well, that's probably the end. As I reread this chapter, it seemed less interesting than I thought it would be. Ah, well, it was definitely the way I wanted to end (or probably end) this story. I'd like to thank my sources for this story including the following:**_

_**Children with Diabetes and its forum (mostly its forum)**_

_**dLife**_

_**Wikipedia**_

_**Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation**_

_**American Diabetes Association**_

_**Even Superheroes Get Diabetes**_

_**There were more that I don't really remember, so they aren't listed. All I can say now is review!**_


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